Gloria Steinem, one of the most iconic voices for women and feminism, died Wednesday in New York at 92.
Even in her last months, a frail Steinem was still meeting with groups of women in the living room of her New York City brownstone, inspiring younger generations to pursue paths of activism, resistance and feminist causes.
“Gloria’s greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard,” her foundation said on Instagram in an announcement of her passing. “Her words, actions and example gave people permission to be their truest selves. Gloria lived true to her independent spirit, always with curiosity and a great sense of humor.”
From co-founding Ms. magazine to launching numerous organizations, including the National Women’s Political Caucus, Steinem became a highly visible symbol of second-wave feminism in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Many instantly recognized her “trademark” look – long streaked hair parted down the middle, with aviator glasses and oversized belts.
Throughout the years, she was arrested at least twice – once in 1984, outside the South African embassy in Washington, D.C., while protesting apartheid, and again in 2019, alongside Jane Fonda during a climate change demonstration.
In addition to championing gender and racial equality, Steinem was known for her keen wit and expressive, sometimes controversial statements, including: “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle,” (which she noted wasn’t original to her) and, “If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.”
A prolific writer, she published numerous books, including a 2015 memoir, “My Life on the Road,” in which she detailed having an illegal abortion in 1957 at age 22. She dedicated the book to the doctor who performed the procedure, saying he did it at considerable risk. “He said, ‘You must promise me … you will do what you want to do with your life,” she wrote.
In recent years, especially following the overturn of Roe v Wade, Steinem was an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, calling him the “harasser in chief” and offering a blunt word of advice for his recent 80th birthday: “Resign.”
Never one to stop working, Steinem’s last book, “An Unexpected Life: A Memoir,” is scheduled for publication in September.
Her foundation noted that Steinem often quoted the adage: “The flap of a butterfly’s wing can change the weather hundreds of miles away.” While her voice has grown silent, her legacy of encouraging others to take even small and simple steps to effect huge change will forever live on. ◼️
